Music History Events: Births
June 12, 1981 John Gourley is born in Willow, Alaska. He's raised in nearby Wasilla, where he forms Portugal. The Man, who have a hit in 2017 with "Feel It Still." He honors his Alaskan heritage throughout his career - the band's 2025 album Shish is a reference to the Alaskan village of Shishmaref.
June 8, 1981 Alex Band (vocalist for The Calling) is born in Los Angeles, California. His father is horror film director Charles Band, known for the Puppet Master franchise.
June 5, 1981 Sebastien Lefebvre (rhythm guitarist for Simple Plan) is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
May 26, 1981 Isaac Slade, lead singer of The Fray ("How To Save A Life," "You Found Me") is born in Boulder, Colorado.
May 5, 1981 Craig David is born in Southampton, Hampshire, England.
March 11, 1981 LeToya Luckett, one of the four original members of Destiny's Child, is born in Houston, Texas.
March 11, 1981 Russell Lissack of Bloc Party is born in Chingford.
March 9, 1981 Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory is born in Coral Springs, Florida.
February 27, 1981 Josh Groban is born in Los Angeles.
February 19, 1981 The Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto is born Mary Beth Patterson in Judsonia, Arkansas.
February 17, 1981 Paris Hilton is born in New York City. An heir to the Hilton Hotels empire, she becomes famous as a socialite and reality TV star, then moves into music with the 2006 single "Stars Are Blind," which charts worldwide.
February 11, 1981 Kelly Rowland is born in Atlanta, Georgia. She becomes the first member of Destiny's Child to land a hit away from the group when "Dilemma," her 2002 duet with Nelly, goes to #1 in America.
January 29, 1981 Blues guitar prodigy Jonny Lang is born Jon Langseth, Jr. in Fargo, North Dakota.
January 22, 1981 Pop singer/actress Willa Ford is born Amanda Lee Williford in Ruskin, Florida. She performs as Mandah but to avoid confusion with Mandy Moore, she settles on a variation of her surname.
January 2, 1981 Kelton "Little Drummer Boy" Kessee (drummer for Immature) is born in Los Angeles, California. He gets his first drum kit at age 6.
November 22, 1980 Shawn Fanning, who upends the music industry when he launches Napster in 1999, is born in Brockton, Massachusetts.
November 17, 1980 Isaac Hanson (of Hanson), the oldest in the trio of brothers, is born Clarke Isaac Hanson in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
October 24, 1980 R&B singer Monica is born Monica Denise Arnold in Atlanta, Georgia.
October 13, 1980 Ashanti is born Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas in Glen Cove, New York. She has a series of hits in the early '00s both as a lead artist ("Foolish," "Only U") and in collaborations with the likes of Ja Rule ("Always On Time") and Fat Joe ("What's Luv?").
October 5, 1980 Paul Thomas (bassist for Good Charlotte) is born in Waldorf, Maryland.
September 25, 1980 Rapper T.I. is born Clifford Harris in Atlanta. Gun charges keep him in legal trouble for much of the '00s, but he still manages to release three #1 albums. His biggest year is 2008, when his songs "Live Your Life" and "Whatever You Like" both reach the top.
September 4, 1980 Pop singer Dan Miller (of O-Town) is born in Laconia, New Hampshire.
August 29, 1980 David Desrosiers (bassist for Simple Plan) is born in Sept-Îles, Quebec, Canada.
August 21, 1980 R&B singer Kelis is born Kelis Rogers in Harlem, New York City.
August 16, 1980 "A Thousand Miles" singer Vanessa Carlton is born in Milford, Pennsylvania.
July 26, 1980 Singer/Guitarist/Producer Dave "Brownsound" Baksh (of Sum 41 and Organ Thieves) is born in Ajax, Ontario, Canada.
July 23, 1980 Michelle Williams (of Destiny's Child) is born in Rockford, Illinois.
July 10, 1980 Jessica Simpson is born in Abilene, Texas. She's first known as a singer, releasing her debut single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," in 1999. She becomes a reality TV star in 2002 with the MTV series Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica, and in 2005 she enters the world of film, playing Daisy Duke in The Dukes Of Hazzard.
July 5, 1980 Lifehouse frontman Jason Wade is born in Camarillo, California.
June 2, 1980 Fabrizio Moretti (drummer for The Strokes) is born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Back to Categories©2026 Songfacts®, LLC